About de Mairan's Nebula (M43)

de Mairan's Nebula is frequently observed by amateur astronomers and appears as a soft glow. It has moderate brightness.

Current visibility

Right now it is at about 19° altitude and reaches 85° around 05:14 PM.

It stays above 30° for roughly 8 hours.

Nebulae benefit from filters, subtle features are easily lost in bright skies.

Observing tips

It requires patience and good conditions.

What to expect

Under good conditions, the object reveals more character.

It is less prominent than the brightest objects in the catalog.

Type

Diffuse Nebula

Constellation

Orion

Distance

1600 ly

Size

20.0' x 15.0'

Season

Winter

Difficulty

Easy

Magnitude

9